Ranger Headquarters

Friday, April 24, 2009

Henry reads in the paper that a ship, the Sea Chaser, is missing somewhere in the ocean near Alaska. The Sea Chaser is trapped in a huge field of ice flows. They are unable to make good radio contact with land or with any other ship. Not much later, Bill receives a call from Col. Anders. The colonel says that Washington is sending him, Stumpy, Gray Wolf and Henry to find the Sea Chaser. As the boys arrive in Alaska and begin their search for the missing ship, the mood on the Sea Chaser is getting hostile. Some of the crew and passengers begin to mutiny. Can the fellas find the Sea Chaser? Will they be able to get there in time to prevent a full mutiny?

Friday, April 17, 2009

Henry accidentally leaves his ham radio on overnight. The radio picks up an SOS distress call. Bill checks to see if anyone else hears the SOS. The police radio finally hears the signal. The police estimate that the signal came from Cougar Canyon. A trapper and his son live there. The rangers brave the cold and deep snow to get to the trapper's cabin. But it appears that Bill is too late. The trapper's son has been seriously ill. The boy seems dead. There is no heartbeat. Bill wants to rush the dead boy to the hospital. He thinks the boy can be brought back from the dead. Is Bill crazy? Can the boy really be raised from the dead?

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Easter GreetingsRanger Bill,Stumpy, Henry, Gray Wolf, and I wish you a blessed and joyous Easter this 2009!!!I was blessed to attend an outdoor Ester Sunrise worship service this morning as the sun rose on a glorious cloudless new day. We worshiped on the top of a wooded hill at the back of the church, horses grazing nearby. The trees glistened with the frost left over from the night. By the way it also was a very brisk 30 degrees. Our pastor read and preached to us from the 28th chapter of Matthew, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The pastor noted that Matthew shows just how nature were part of the celebration of the resurrection - the sun shone, the earth quaked, the angels looked like lightening, the angels clothes as white as snow. This is so in contrast to Jesus on the cross where nature mourned - the sun was darkened, the earth quaked, rocks split, the temple curtain was torn. If God would allow the elements of nature to declare, no, to shout the events of Jesus' death and resurrection shouldn't we? Please join with Bill, the rangers and I in joyfully shouting God's victory for us in Christ!

Friday, April 10, 2009

A group of scientists is studying a cave exposed by the melting of the Big Slide Glacier several miles north of Knotty Pine. The scientists find what they believe are the bones of a prehistoric caveman and other ancient artifacts. The movements of the glacier create an earthquake and a big rock slide. One of the lead scientists, Dr. Swift, is trapped under part of the avalanche. Dr. Swift's leg is crushed under a huge rock and may have to be amputated to save his life. The team of scientists has no way to contact the outside world. One scientist tries to climb down to find help. Bill and the boys decide to climb up to Big Slide and check on the scientists. Will Bill get to the scientists in time? Will he be able to save Dr. Swift's life?

Friday, April 3, 2009

I don't mention the cast and crew of Ranger Bill often enough.Ranger Bill and Stumpy are both played by MironCanaday. Miron is also well-known for hosting another MBN production, Show Me Thy Glory.Ed Ronne, Sr. played Gray Wolf. Ed left broadcasting after Ranger Bill to work for Argonne National Laboratories.Roger Compton played Henry. Roger went on to become Dr. Roger Compton and was the head pastor at a large church which I believe was in the Phoenix area.Rex Brenner, who played the loading foreman and Knotty Pine's mayor in this show, also created and produced a five-minute show in the nineties called Stories of Great Hymns. He is the voice of the ever-popular French Canadian logger Frency DeSalle. Rex also played Olie on Sailor Sam.A name you don't often hear is Bill Pearce. Yet Bill is a regular on Ranger Bill. Bill played various parts in this show. He was the dock worker, the doctor, and a Knotty Pine councilman. He is also the show announcer as he is most every week. One other regular part he had was as ranger Ralph Carpenter. There were three or four ranger Ralph's over the years. Bill only played Ralph Carpenter. And yes, Bill is the Bill Pearce of Henry's "Christmas Pageant".

Knotty Pine's warehouse district along the Shady River waterfront is the scene of this week's story. Henry gets a funny feeling when a man suddenly drops dead along the waterfront. Bill, Stumpy and Gray Wolf aren't concerned. Then a second man dies in the same area. Soon six men have dropped dead in that same warehouse district. What is this strange and deadly illness? Bill thinks he knows what this malady may be. Can this plague be eliminated and who can do the job?